Canada's policy of requiring incoming government-assisted refugees to pay back loans of up to $10,000 for their air fare, medical exams and documents is under renewed fire now that the Syrian refugee crisis has emerged as a federal election issue.

Advocates argue scrapping the repayment policy and turning the transportation loans into grants is one concrete step Ottawa can take right now to make it easier for refugees to adapt to life in Canada.

The City of Surrey – the top destination within B.C. for arriving refugees – is stepping up its years-long campaign to kill the loans, on which the federal government charges interest after three years.